Wicked Ways

Chapter 7



A week later…



"So I told him 'you're not a part of my life anymore and if you think you can control me by a remote think again, and then I hung up on him,"


"Way to go Buff!" Willow said and raised her glass


"Yes, I can say for sure that I'm no longer the black sheep of this family," Xander said smiling, as he sat by the table between the two girls


"Oh please Xander, you never were a black sheep," Buffy patted his shoulder "Dolly the sheep maybe, or out to a different pasture sheep, but never a black sheep," she and Willow giggled


"Very funny!" Xander removed her hand from his shoulder and then noticed someone entering the pub.



"Spike!" Xander called to his friend. He hadn't seen him in days.




Buffy glanced at the door and met Spike's gaze, she lowered her eyes and smiled slightly as he approached.



"Hi," Spike walked warily towards the table.



"Come sit with us," Willow said



"No work?" Spike glanced at the empty pub as he sat,



"Slow day," Willow said and then noticed Spike and Buffy were avoiding each other's gaze.



"Dead is more like it," Xander corrected her and then turned to Spike



"So how is work?" Xander glared at his friend’s suit and tie, still not used to seeing him so dressed up.



"I think I'm going to quit," Spike blurted



Buffy quickly turned her head to look at him with surprise



"Really?" Xander asked, bemused



"Yeah," Spike said glancing at Buffy's face, amused by her reaction.



"They're firing you," Buffy smirked after a second.



"Yeah," Spike replied quickly with a matching smile, knowing he couldn't have fooled her.



They kept their eyes on each other even as the sound of loud giggling came through the door.



"Will, customers," Xander said getting up from his seat



Willow sighed and followed him, leaving the two blonds sitting next to each other.



"So…" Spike broke the silence and closed the gap between them



"So…" Buffy glared at him willing him to continue



"Um… I see Xander isn't busting my chops… you talked to him?"



"Yeah I-"



"Spikey?" a whiney voice cut through Buffy’s words.



Spike's face fell as he turned to the source of the voice



"Harmony," he said surprised, giving Buffy a sideways glance, noticing her rolling her eyes.



"You said you'd call me Blondie bear!" Harmony complained, "I thought you’d died or worse!"



"I'm fine Harm," Spike looked at her annoyed and most of all concerned about the girl that was sitting next to him, her expression spoke louder then words.




"Where have you been?"



"Around," Spike said impatiently and clenched his teeth.



Two girls came to stand next to Harmony and giggled, one of them leaned to whisper in her ear, Harmony laughed and turned to look back at Spike.



"Okay Spikey I have to go now…I'll call ya," she smiled and turned to follow her friends




Spike shook his head and turned his attention back to Buffy who was glaring at him aggressively



"Buffy I -"




"Save it," Buffy quickly got up from her seat




"Wait," Spike jumped and blocked her way




"You didn't break up with her?" Buffy yelled at him




"I didn't have time," Spike waved his hands defensively




"Oh that's rich!" Buffy tried to walked past him when she felt a hard grip on her arm




"I thought she'd get the message when I didn't call her back. It’s not like I was ever her top priority,"




"Well obviously she hasn't, and you are. Let go of my arm!" Buffy snapped and pulled her arm.

"Not until you listen!" Spike tightened his grip on her as Buffy struggled to free herself




Spike's attempt to calm Buffy down got her even more furious. After one last try to free her arm, she did the one thing she could do…



She took the bottle of ketchup that was on the table and aimed it at Spike's shirt.



Spike let go of her as soon as he noticed the red substance dripping off his tie.



Buffy didn't stay long enough to witness his reaction.

---

Buffy ran up the stairs to the apartment she now shared with her stepbrother. He was hardly ever there, always spending his time in the pub or at Anya's, so she knew she could have some peace and quiet.



She herself didn't think she'd see the crappy apartment for a while. Since she got back from her trip, everything seemed to focus on her and Spike



They hadn't really started a relationship, things were just too weird at first. She wasn't sure if she had forgiven him for leaving her like he did. How could she? Spike said he was sorry and that he wanted to be with her. A part of her really wanted to believe him, but the other part wanted to punch him in the face so hard his nose would bleed.


I should have done that years ago…maybe it would had more effect then the slandering…



Now there was Harmony, reminding her of the abruptness of this new situation.
Things looked more real now that she was home, everything she'd been through with Spike the last few years came rushing back.



Did I really think I could trust him?…I thought I knew better then that




Buffy stopped pacing in her room and looked at herself in the mirror




She studied her face and wondered what was going in Spike's mind. What did he see in her that changed his attitude towards her so drastically?



"You ruined my favorite tie," she heard a husky voice from behind her.




Buffy glanced at the mirror before turning to look at Spike with irritation.




"You don't even like ties, how could you have a favorite one!" she complained, and turned to clear her stuff from the nightstand.




"Well this is my favorite one and now it's ruined thanks to you," Spike got closer to her




"I'll buy you a new one"



"I don't want a new one, I liked that one,"



Buffy then felt the blood boiling in her veins. She reached to the drawer and took out a fair of scissors, before Spike knew what was happening, Buffy turned to face him and cut his tie in half.




"Bloody hell!" Spike gazed at his shredded tie "Why did you do that?"




"Why do you think?" Buffy said calmly



"Because you’re a childish brat!" Spike narrowed his eyes at the smiling blond.



However, Buffy's smirk faded as Spike grabbed the scissors roughly from her hand. She yelped when she realized what he was about to do and tried to escape.




"Not so fast missy," Spike grabbed Buffy by the waist, smirking when he heard her screaming at him to release her.



"Don't you dare Spike! I mean it," Buffy threatened but it was too late, Spike took the scissors and cut a lock of her hair.




Buffy pushed Spike away and turned to look at him horrified




Spike smirked at Buffy's reaction, her expression was priceless, her chin quivered and her eyes widened in shock as she looked at the lock of hair on the floor. She looked as if she was about to cry, but instead she launched at him with her tiny fists.



"I- can't –believe- you –did- that!" Buffy smacked his chest with the accented beat of her words.



Spike chuckled lightly.



"Relax goldilocks," he took a step back "it will grow back," he then threw the scissors aside.



"Unlike my tie," he grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her.



Buffy glared at him for a long moment before glancing at the scissors on her bed.




"Don't you even think about it!" Spike warned her.




As if he was reading her mind, a second later Spike found himself pushing Buffy to the bed and straddling her.




Spike held Buffy's wrist as she reached for the scissors




"No one ever told playing with pointy objects is dangerous?"




"I didn't hear you complaining," Buffy panted still trying to escape




"Give it up Summers," Spike pulled her wrists above her head and gazed at her face grinning.




"Never!" Buffy tried her best not to sound as helpless as she felt.




Spike leaned and brushed his lips against her "You're losing pet," he whispered



"I hate you," Buffy mumbled her eyes fixed on his.




"No you don't," Spike said softly




"Yes I do,"




"No…" Spike nudged her lips with his, not breaking eye contact, "You don't"

---

"Xander lets go already," Anya rushed her boyfriend, who stood behind the counter.




"In a minute An, I just need to go upstairs to tell Buffy something," Xander turned to the stairs



"Oh no you don't…stop right there buddy," Willow blocked his way.



"Will…I'm in a hurry here," Xander glanced at her impatiently



"You can't…Spike and Buffy are there,"



"So?"



"They kinda had a fight earlier and Spike went there to talk to her," Willow looked at him intensely, trying to make him to see her point.




"Oh I see…" Xander nodded "You want me to step back and let my best friend shack up with my sister? Sure, no problem," Xander narrowed his eyes at her and tried to walked past her



"I mean it Xander," Willow stopped him again



Xander stared at Willow’s resolved face and sighed.



"C'mon Xander you’ve seen the way they look at each other,"




"Yeah that’s what I'm worried about!"



"They're in love,"



"They're in-something…" Xander muttered, "Look, Will," Xander gazed at his friend’s face "Spike is a good guy okay, he's my best friend, we've been through a lot together. That's why I know what I'm talking about….it's not going to be easy for either of them. I just don't want to see anybody getting hurt,"



"You know," Willow, said most attentively, "You occasionally say some smart stuff," she glared at him and watched him smile slightly.



"But what you said right now was a bunch of crap!" Willow snapped.



"What?" Xander’s smile dissolved



"You just can't handle it!" Willow glared at him




"Buffy and Spike have a chance to be really happy. I can't, I won't," Willow corrected herself, "let you stand in their way!"



Xander looked at her stunned




"I think she's right," Anya cut in "It's not fair for you to stand between a couple and their many potential orgasms,”



"An!"



"Just saying"

---

Spike stopped kissing Buffy only to be punched in the face, and fly off the bed.




It took him a moment to realize what had just happened. He knew Buffy was still mad at him but he really thought they were making progress.




"Bloody hell women…what does it take?" he said getting up from the floor



"More then that," Buffy gnashed her teeth and got up as well.




Spike studied her heated expression and sighed, gazing up the ceiling.



"Buffy, I'll break up with her…she means nothing to me," he gazed at her



"And I do?" Buffy crossed her arms and glared at him



"Of course you do!" Spike said softly closing the gap between them.




"I know I've been a jerk," Spike started explaining in a low voice and before Buffy could say something, he added, "I shouldn't have left you. If I could take that back I would….but I can't….all I know is that I've changed Buffy. The way I feel…about you…" Spike smiled slightly when he noticed Buffy's face softened.



"There's something between us Summers, and I want to make it work,"




Buffy looked down for a moment before meeting his gaze with a serious expression.



"Then prove it,"



tbc



*A/N- how are you doing?